Thill-coupling



No. 6|a,432. Pafentedlan. 31, |899. H. L. uLlPHANT.

THILL COUPLING.

(Applicnton filed May 19', 1898,)

(Nn Model.) I

, 7V F, l j' IB Q I 'Z/j. .Cif 315 2 ,I Y |1 l iINiTED STATES PATENTEEicE.

HOMER L. OLIPHANT, OF CINCINNATI, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHNW. MOOD, OF STANFORD, AND ASBURY F. MOOD, OF BUENA visTA, INDiANA.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,432, dated January31, 1899.

Application filed May 19, 1898. Serial NO- 681,145. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, I-IoMER L. OLIPHANT, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Cincinnati, Greene county,State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill-Couplings; and mypreferred manner of carrying out the invention is set forth in thefollowing full, clear, and exact description, terminating with claimsparticularly specifying the novelty.'

This invention relates to carriages and wagons, and more especially tothe thillcouplings vused in connection therewith; and the object of thesame is to produce an improved thill-coupling and antirattler combinedwhereof the parts can be disengaged without removing any bolt or screw.

To this end the invention consists in the details of con-structionhereinafter more fully described in connection with their respectivefunctions and advantages and as illustrated in the drawings, wherein- YFigure 1 is a central longitudinal section of all the parts of thisthill-coupling in operative position. Fig. 2 is a perspective detail ofseveral parts thereof disconnected from each other. Fig. 3 is a frontelevation of the block.

The letter A designates the axle, which is of any approved constructionand formation and forms no part of the present invention.

vThe letter @designates the clip, which is vcomposed of aninverted-U-shaped strap of metal l, passing over the axle, and whosearms 2 and 3 extend downward on opposite sides thereof, as usual, andare threaded for the reception of nuts 4 and 5. Y

The letter P designates the clip-plate,which is preferably transverselygrooved, as at 10, on its upper side near its rear end for the receptionof the axle A, sockets 11 and holes 12 being provided for the arms 2 and3 of the clip, as usual. In the lower face of this plate is formed arecess 13, surrounding the rearmost hole 12, for a purpose to appearhereinafter. Forward of the transverse groove 10 the body of the platel? is bifurcated, so as to form two arms 14, extending forward from astraight vertical front wall l5, and which arms are complementary ofeach other. Each of the latter has on its inner face aninwardlyprojecting iiange 16, starting from a point 17 at about themid-lengtli of the upper edge of the arm 14, thence extending in acurved manner around the front end of said arm, thence continuing to therear along the lower edge of the arm, and terminating at a point 18 onsaid lower edge considerably in rear of the point 17. The entire plateand its arms and flanges are preferably formed in one piece of metal.

The letter B designates the block, which in the present instance is alsopreferably made of metal instead of rubber or some soft or yieldingmaterial, as hitherto common in antirattlers. This block has a dat upperface 20, a flat but rearwardly-inclined rear face 2l, forming an obtuseangle 22 with the upper face, and a front face which extends verticallydownward for a short distance, as at 23, thence inclines slightly to therear, as at 24, thence makes a curved bearing 25, then a hori- Zontalrearwardly-proj ecting shoulder 26, and finally extends verticallydownward, as at 27, all as best seen in Fig. l. In front elevation thisblock is substantially T-shaped, as best seen in Fig. 3, the head of theT consisting of that portion comprising the vertical front face 23,which, it will be seen, extends to a greater distance laterally than theshank of the T, which comprises the remaining portion of the block. Atthe ends of this head may be formed depending lips 2S, for a purpose toappear hereinafter, and when these lips are employed there will bedownwardly-facing grooves 29 between their inner edges and the sides ofthe' shank of the T. In the front face of said shank, at its edges, arecut notches 30, occupying that portion whereof the center of the shankis inclined to the rear, as at 24. The bearing 25 occupies the entirelateral width of the front face of the shank, and the lower end orremaining portion of the shank beneath the shoulder 26 and comprisingthat portion occupied by the vertical part 27 of the .front face isshaped like an inverted-T head, which is formed by grooves 3l out in thesides of the block just beneath the shoulder 26 from front to rearthereof.

The letter W designates a wedge having a vertical rear face 40 and aninclined front face 4l, and mounted on a transverse pivot 42 through thelower end of this wedge is a bail 43, which also preferably tapersdownward in side elevation to follow the convergence of the two faces ofthe wedge.

The letter S designates aspring, preferably having a rectangular heel 50at its rear end, adapted to be seated fiush in the recess 13in the lowerside of the plate P and perforated for the reception of the rear arm 2of the clip C. From this heel 50 the body 51 of the spring curvesdownward and forward, and its front end is provided with a hook 52,adapted to take into the bail 48 of the wedge.

All parts are of the desired sizes, shapes, proportions, and materials,but preferably of metal. T designates the T-head at the rear end of thethill-iron, which is illustrated for the purpose of showing itscooperation with my invention.

In use the plate P is passed beneath the axle A and its groove 10engaged under the same, whereby much of the strain heretofore thrown onthe clip will be removed. The clip C is passed over the axle, its armsengaging the holes 12. The heel of the spring S is seated in the recess13 beneath the plate, and the nuts are applied to the lower ends of theclip-arms, as usual,'the rearmost nut holding the spring in place. TheT-head at the rear of the thill-iron is then seated in the-bearing 25 inthe front of the block I3, and both parts while in this position arepassed downward between the arms 14C of the plate P and with the rearface 2l of the block against the front wall 15 ofthe plate. This permitsthe ends of the T-iron to pass in rear of the points 17 of theinwardly-extending flanges 1G, and the parts are moved downward untilthe lips 28 (if they are employed) pass over the upper edges of the arms14;, and the grooves 29 embrace said arms closely. Obviously these lipswill prevent spreading of the arms under strain, and hence I considertheir use arlvantageous; but if they are not employed the device willwork nearly, if not fully, as well. The block B is, then mved forward,with the shoulder 26 resting on the lower sides of the flanges 16, andthe rear ends of the latter move into the grooves 3l of the T- head 27.As the thill-iron is brought into the curved front ends of the flangesthe upper rear ends 17 thereof are seated in the notches 30 for aportion of the depth of the latter. It will be obvious that in use thethill-iron will wear at ends only, and the curved front ends of theflanges will also wear more readily than the bearing 25 of the block,and hence in time the latter may move farther forward, so as to seat theupper rear ends 17 of the lianges more deeply in the notches 30. Thewedge WV is then brought into play and inserted from above, with itsflat rear face 40 against the front wall 15 and its inclined front face41 against the inclined rear face 2l of the block,

and this wedge is borne downward until it pinches between the block andthe wall of the plate. The baillt is then swung forward, the tip of thespring S borne upward, and its hook 52 engaged within the bail. It willbe obvious that the normal tendency of the spring is to draw the wedgedownward, and such movement of the latter necessarily forces the blockforward, so that its bearing 25 presses firmly against the rear of thethill-iron, thus silently, constantly, and effectively producing africtional antirattler composed entirely of metal and which not onlytakes n p the wear of parts, but will not yield in the least when thevehicle is backed.

In order to remove the thills, as for the insertion of a new pair or theconnection with the vehicle of a tongue, the bail is disengaged from thehook, the wedge is removed from above, the block is borne to the rearuntil its T- head 27 passes behind the points 18 at the lower rear endsof the flanges 16, and the block then removed by lifting it verticallyout of the bifurcated front end of the plate. The thill-iron may beremoved with the block if there is sufcient distance between thebearing-face 25 and the rear upper ends 17 of the anges, or it mayberemoved later and independently, if desired.

Vhat is claimed as new is- 1. In a thill-coupling, the combination witha clip-plate having front side larms with inwardly projecting iiangescurved around their front ends, and a block T- shaped in front elevationwith the head of the T adapted to rest on said arms and the shank of theT adapted to pass between them and formed with a transverse bearingcomplementing that within said flanges, the plate between its armshaving a vertical front wall and the rear faceA of said block beinginclined; of a wedge having a vertical rear face and an inclined frontface and adapted to fit between the arms and in rear of the block', abail pivoted to the lower end of the wedge, and a spring secured to thebottom of the clip-plate and having a hook in its free end removablyengaging said bail, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a thill-coupling, the combination with a clip-plate having frontside arms with inwardly projecting flanges curved around their frontends, and a block T-shaped in front elevation with the head of the Tadapted to rest on said arms and having depending lips at its side endsto engage the outer faces of said arms, and the shank; of the T adaptedto pass between them and formed with a transverse bearing complementingthat within said flanges, the front of the plate and the rear of theblock between the side arms of the former constituting adownwardly-tapering opening; of a wedge tapering to fit in said taperingopening, a bail pivoted to the lower end of the wedge and tapering inside elevation to conform to the taper of the wedge, and a springsecured to the bottom of the clip-plate IOO IIO

and having a hook in its free end removably engaging said bail, as andfor the purpose set forth.

3. In a thill-coupling, the combination with the clip-plate bifurcatedat its front end, and inwardly-projecting anges on the side arms thereofcurving around their front ends and extending partially to the rear attheir lower edges; of a block'fitting between said arms and having ahead resting on their upper edges, a transverse bearing complementingthat within the curved front ends of the anges, an inverted-T head atits lower end engaging beneath the lower portions of the flanges whenthe block is moved forward, and means for pressing this block normallyto the front, as and for the purpose set forth.-

4. In a thill-couplin g, the combination with the clip-plate bifurcatedat its front end, and inwardly-projecting ianges on the side armsthereof curving around their front ends and extending partially to therear at their upper edges; of a block fitting between said arms andhaving notches in its front face adapted to engage the rear ends ofsaidvflanges when the block is moved forward, its front face also havinga transverse bearing beneath the notches complementing that in the frontends of the flanges, and means for pressing this block normally to thefront, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a thill-coupling, the combination with the clip-plate bifurcatedat its front end, and inwardly-projecting anges on the side arms thereofcurving around their front ends and extending partially to the rear attheir upper edges and further to the rear at their lower edges; of ablock fitting between said arms and having in its front face atransverse bearing complementing the curved portions of the anges,notches in its front face above said bearing, and an inverted-T head atits lower end, said notches engaging the rear upper ends and the groovesof the T-head engaging the rear lower ends of said flanges when theblock is moved forward, and means for pressing this block normally tothe front, as and for lthe purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub scribed my signature on thisthe 16th day of May, A. D. 1898.

I-IOMER L. OLIPHANT.

NVitnesses JOSEPH I-I. TAGUE, J AMES W. BEIER.

